eWASH

WaterAid Nigeria has organised a workshop for civil society organisations (CSOs) and water and sanitation journalists on urban water sector reform issues.

Tagged ‘Urban Advocacy for Civil society’ the Training Workshop held in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital earlier this month provided an opportunity to improve the participation of CSOs and Journalists in reform the  processes. Said

The World Bank and European Union are presently implementing urban water sector reform programmes in Nigeria. The World Bank, is coordinating the implementation of the Urban Water Sector Reform Project in five project States include Kaduna, Ogun and Enugu under the 1^st National Urban Water Sector Reform Project and in Lagos and Cross River States for the 2^nd National Urban Water Sector Reform Project.

The objectives of the project are to increase access to piped water networks in selected urban areas and improve reliability and financial viability of Water Supply Agencies of the Project States.

European Union on its part will be soon be implementing the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programmes (WSSSRP) II and III in 13 States- Anambra, Cross-River, Jigawa, Kano, Osun, Yobe, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Rivers, Adamawa, Ekiti and Plateau under the 10^th European Development Fund (EDF)

The WSSSRP seeks to contribute to poverty eradication, sustainable development, and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals through the implementation of programmes that increase access to safe, adequate, and sustainable water and sanitation services.

WSSSRP II and III like its precursor, WSSSRP I is aimed at addressing two major problems associated with the Nigerian water sector – inadequate sector policy, legal and institutional framework; and weak sector institutions that are unable to deliver their mandates.

Speaking on the objectives for organising the urban sector reform workshop, Saheed Mustafa, Policy and Partnership officer of WaterAid in Nigeria said:

“We decided to organise the workshop to sharpen their advocacy and lobbying skills of CSOS, improve understanding of new ways of establishing access to information, improve knowledge and skills in using tools of engagement in monitoring utilities and influencing service delivery, build the capacity of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to effectively engage in reform process; expose the CSOs to pro poor approaches and lessons learnt from around the world; develop an action plan for CSOs engagement with state utilities; and improve accountability and responsiveness in the urban WASH sector”.

Participants at the workshop which was drawn from Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation in Nigeria and the Water and Sanitation Media Network were introduced to various concepts of urban sector reform, including why reforms of urban water and sanitation services or utilities are needed; reform options such as  privatization, private sector participation, public utility turnaround, social business models; the interests of the poor in reforms; how to influence good governance (increase transparency accountability and responsiveness) in urban water and sanitation services sector; the challenges of working with international finance institutions (IFIs) and how to engage with IFIs with their formal project planning cycles; and Tariffs and Subsidies for improving urban water supply.

Osun state results
PDP: 188,409
CPC: 6,997
ACN : 299, 711

Article by  Vasanth

Soil erosion caused by water and wind is one of the main problems of agriculture in Nigeria. The lack of development in low-lying flood plains also hinders the development of agriculture in Nigeria. In addition, the dependence on imported foods has disincentivized investment in local farming.

Soil Infertility

The problems of agriculture in Nigeria begin with the soil. Most of the farmable land in Nigeria contains soil that is low to medium in productivity. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with proper management, the soil can achieve medium to good productivity.

The main problem that affects soil fertility is soil erosion. Wind erosion, in particular, is quite damaging. Overtime, strong winds expose seedlings and crop root systems by blowing away loose, fine grain soil particles. Another effect is the accumulation of soil particles in drifts, which can cover crops. Also, wind erosion changes the texture of the soil. The particles responsible for water retention and fertility, such as clay, silt, and organic matter are generally lost, leaving behind a sandy soil.

Wind erosion can be greatly reduced by planting trees near farming areas. The trees will absorb most of the wind, which will prevent the loss of soil particles.

Another type of erosion that affects fertility is water erosion. There are two types of water erosion: splash erosion and rill erosion. Splash erosion occurs when rain drops impact the soil, and rill erosion occurs when channels of water carry soil downstream.

Water erosion is reduced when the soil is covered with a canopy. Also, improving the soil structure by adding organic matter greatly reduces water erosion.

Irrigation Problems

The low-lying flood plains are very fertile during the rainy season, but the lack of rain during the dry season hinders agricultural development. The lack of water management systems in these areas is a concern for many farmers. By adding irrigation canals and access roads to these areas, yearly production yields are expected to increase.

Food Processing Issues

It is estimated that about 20-40% of the yearly harvest is lost during processing. The primary cause is the lack of efficient harvesting techniques. Most farmers harvest crops by hand, instead of using machines. Also, storage methods are not generally up to standards. Most of the crops are lost to physical damage caused by insects, bacteria, or fungus.

Impact of Imported Food

Nigeria is a net importer of food. The country does not produce enough food to meet the demand of its people. This produces a lot of problems with regard to agricultural development. Generally, there is less incentive for local farmers to grow local foods, when cheaper, more palatable foods are imported. This forces local farmers to reduce prices, which reduces the income generated by the farm. The consequence is decreased farm production.

To combat the effects of imported food on development, several initiatives are suggested, including providing farmers with micro-credit that is subsidized and increasing tariffs on imported food.

Lack of Investment

The problems of agriculture in Nigeria are also caused by a lack of investment. The government budget for agriculture is not enough to meet the challenges. International aid groups have supplemented the funding of the government, but most of the funds don’t reach the local farmer.

Reference

1. Nigeria’s Agriculture and Food Security Challenges

2. http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/57.htm

Memo to His Excellency, the Osun State Governor,Rauf Aregbesola

By Babatope Babalobi

1.       Provide Energy

• Support Osun State Water Corporation to develop alternative/independent Power supply (IPP) for their waterworks/water schemes. Epileptic energy supply is their No 1 problem.
• Support state to finance the development of small scale hydro power projects/gas turbines. The nearby river courses  should be dammed for the generation of 5-20 MWs of power which will power the water works (more…)

Chief Ebenezer Babatope

Chief Ebenezer Babatope, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) wants that ‘if the PDP fails to resolve the divisions and the crises in Osun, Oyo and Ogun, there is a possibility for opposition parties, particularly the ACN to sweep the polls next year/

The Interview was first published by the Nigerian Compass

Do you think the incumbent President can sail to victory next year considering the controversy surrounding zoning which has been the major issue in Nigerian politics now for several weeks?

That question will not arise now because the President will still have to go through the party primaries. So, let us see the outcome of the party primaries. If he scales the party primaries, then the question of what happens to him and the party in next year’s election would then arise. But we have not had a party primaries and so, it will not be right for one to comment on the fact he is now seen, particularly by the media, as the candidate of the PDP for the election. Let’s settle the party primaries and then affirm that he is the President. Some other persons may come up or another person may come to the camp of the PDP. (more…)

In this article, Segun Sango of the Democratic Socialist Movement argues that Nigeria is on the brink and only a revolutionary party can save it

INTRODUCTION

It is 30 months this November that the government of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has been in office, albeit through the most farcical election in annals of Nigeria. Like in the 8-year rule (or ruination of Nigerian economy) of his predecessor and mentor, Olusegun Obasanjo, Yar’Adua government has unleashed severe neo-liberal attacks on workers and poor masses. Nigeria is suffering from a form of Dutch disease – mass suffering and poverty in the midst of huge material and human resources.

The biggest and longest run oil boom in Nigerian history that coincided with the last decade of civil rule has brought fundamentally nothing to workers and poor masses in term of infrastructural development and improved living standards. Rather, the period of boom has only recorded collapse of industries, mass unemployment, attack on public education and health care, jumbo pay for top government functionaries, brazen looting of nati

on’s wealth by those in government and their business allies, and criminal transfer of public properties to private vampires for their profit-first interests.

Worse still, the Yar’Adua government, in line with anti poor neo-liberal principle, has continued to prescribe and administer poisons as medicine for the chronic ailment of the Nigerian economy. The latest of the venom, which Yar’Adua government has vociferously determined to add on already festering sore of the poor working masses, is total deregulation of the down stream sector of the oil industry, the main stay of Nigerian economy.

This has been presented by this anti-poor government as the magic wand that will turn around the Nigerian economy. However, Labour (trade unions) has not left the field alone for the government and its town criers, on the platform of Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) it has organized eight protest marches across the country to rally workers and poor masses against the obnoxious agenda (more…)

The Movement of Revolutionary Change (MRC) http://movementforrevolutionarychange.org ) has

congratulated Engr. Rauf  Aregbesola as the Court of Appeal today confirmed him  winner of the 2007 elections and ordered that he be sworn in tomorrow.

As Aregbesola and  lovers of Justice and Democracy celebrate the hard fought battle and victory, Engr. Aregbesola must realize that the over four years  tortuous path  to victory would be in vain if he fails to  offer good governance.

Osun state has been highly unlucky  in producing visionary leaders at the state level. Since its creation in 1991, Osun state has been ruled  by political gold diggers, fun lovers, and political charlatans.  Apart from the brief tenure of 1st Military Administrator of Osun State-Colonel Leo Ajiborisa (27 August 1991 – 1 January 1992) which witnessed of progressivism,  it is a tragic fact the people of Osun state have never have a taste of a government that is transparently honest  and genuinely committed to transforming  the socio economic lives of the citizenry for the past two decades.

We challenge Rauf Aregbesola to go and make a difference. We remind him that he is being  ushered with popular  acclamation unparalleled in the political history of the stat. He therefore need to see his victory as an opportunity to serve the people massively voted for him across religious lines  and stood with him even with the loss of some lives, rather that serve people any  god masters.

(more…)

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has congratulated the new Governor of Osun State, Engr. Rauf Aregbesola and assured him of the support of the Federal Government